PCA 2023: Sacrificio Cigars
While cigars are synonymous with Cuban culture, likewise, something that had a huge impact on the country that still resonates today is the bar culture that developed in Cuba in the early 20th century. To combat the deluge of American bartenders coming over and working at American-owned hotels during the prohibition years, Cuban bartenders started Club de Cantineros, a union organization created not just to protect their livelihood but also to elevate Cuban bartending as a whole.
What does this have to do with a cigar company, you ask? I started the article with that background so you knew how prestigious it is to be a cantineros. When you might say somebody is an internationally renowned cantineros, it is even more impressive, and Sacrificio Cigars founder Julio Cabrera is just that.
Cabrera was born and raised in Cuba and was formally trained as a bartender. From there, he worked all over the world, eventually migrating to Miami, where in 2019, he opened Café La Trova. After winning multiple awards for his work at Café La Trova, Cabrera turned his attention to another passion, cigars. Born from his father’s love of cigars and naming the company after his family’s bar in Cuba, Café El Sacrificio, Sacrificio Cigars launched here at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade Show. The booth was modestly sized, but the theming was on-brand and quite sharp for a first-time exhibitor.
Each of the four blends from Sacrificio’s initial launch only comes in one size and has a listing of suggested drink pairings on the inside lid of the box. The El Caballo pairs well with a double espresso, extra-aged rum, cognac or an old fashioned.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Ecuador (Habano)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Condega & Estelí)
- Sacrificio El Caballo (6 x 60) — $19 (Box of 10, $190)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: September 2023
The Elegante lancero is the thinnest ring gauge of the bunch. It pairs well with espresso, aged rum or a Presidente cocktail.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Claro)
- Binder: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Condega & Jalapa)
- Sacrificio Elegante (7 x 38) — $16 (Box of 10, $160)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: September 2023
The Junior is the only lighter wrapper of the bunch, which makes sense that the pairing are of a lighter nature. Cappuccino, lattes, sparkling wine or a classic daiquiri go well with this blend.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
- Binder: Cameroon
- Filler: Nicaragua (Condega & Jalapa)
- Sacrificio Junior (5 x 50) — $15 (Box of 10, $150)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: September 2023
Lastly is the Maestro, which pairs with black coffee, a tawny port or the scotch whiskey-forward Bobby Burns cocktail.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Binder: Ecuador (Habano)
- Filler: Dominican Republic (Piloto) & Nicaragua (Condega & Jalapa)
- Sacrificio Maestro (6 1/2 x 52) — $18 (Box of 10, $180)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: September 2023
Brian Burt
I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.
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